New leadership within the Bibb County School system is our top story tonight on Eyewitness News at Six.

Erin Weaver is taking the reins as deputy superintendent....

Elise Brown sat down with her today...and has the story.

The former Central High School Principal came out of retirement for this job.

Weaver plans on being in this position for the same duration that Superintendent Smith holds his...that's about a year.

She shares what skills she thinks are a must for the next superintendent.

<i think they should be relationship builders, I think they should understand the desires of the community to have a good school. And I think they need to use the wonderful people, the teachers and administrators that we have in this community to better our community. >

There's another reason Weaver may be familiar to many in the community.

This month marks 10 years since her son..Mike...was shot and killed in Atlanta.

The upcoming 6th annual Weaver's Weekend is in honor of him.

<his friends have a foundation and they raise money for youth sports in bibb county. And they give it away in sweat equity and they give money away also. >

Weavers Weekend is scheduled for August 24th... Frank?

For more information you can find this story on our website...13WMAZ dot com.

A Warner Robins woman was sentenced to life with the possibility of parole for murdering her husband.

Ebony Passion Smith was convicted by a jury Wednesday of multiple charges... Including killing her husband... Brian...two years ago in Warner Robins.

Judge Edward Lukemire handed down the life sentence with the possibility of parole... for the malice murder charge.

She will also serve a 5-year sentence consecutively for possession of a firearm during a commission of a crime.

Before sentencing... statements by the family of Brian Smith were read to Judge Lukemire.

Assistant District Attorney...Cliff Woody...says Brian Smith's death by gunshot was painful...which made the sentence appropriate.

<Cliff Woody, Assistant District Attorney of Houston County:the medical examiner said he took 15 minutes to an hour for him to die so he spent many, a long time on the bathroom floor dying a horrific death.>

Smith appeared to be crying in court

Nick White...Smith's attorney... said that those were tears of remorse for what she did.

Earlier this week, Smith testified that she intended to kill herself and not her husband.

Bond was set today for the accused getaway driver in another killing...that's the Zodiac nightclub shooting that left a macon teen dead in early July.

<we're pleased that the judge granted bond. We believe that what was presented today is consistent with what's been presented since the outset. Miss Pettiway's involvement stemmed after the fact by driving somebody away from the scene. I think it's at this point undisputed that she didn't have any involvement in the fight or the shooting. >

Steger says that she and Andre Bonner have a 5-year-old child.

Bonner was denied bond this morning.

One way to cool off today is with an icy treat.

Our own Suzanne Lawler is at the Dairy Queen in Gray...where blizzards are turning sweet profits for the Children's Miracle Network.

Suzanne Lawler, thank you.

In our webpoll today, we asked 'how do you support the Children's Miracle Network?'

18 percent of you say, you contribute during the telethon.

20 percent of you take part in Miracle Treat Day.

And 62 percent you...give through other donations.

Give us your feedback now...

You'll find that webpoll on the right side of our homepage...13wmaz-dot-com.

When there is a death at a crime scene ... The coroner is called in to take care of the body and investigate cause of death.

But in Jones County ... The body removal service will be handled by a funeral home in Milledgeville.

Judy Le explains.

Williams Funeral Home in Milledgeville will be called for body removal services and refrigeration. They are located about 20 miles away from Gray. Funeral Director ... Rick Williams says quote (gfx) -- I don't want people to be in a panic mode or not know what to do

Four months ago we reported that.... Jones County coroner Jerry Bridges would stop removing bodies. That's because the county refused to provide benefits for three of his deputy coroners. But he resumed the service the

next day because he said ... it's the right the to do.

Bridges says he will disregard the County's decision to use Williams Funeral Home because he says it's his job to take care of the body.

<the coroner is in charge of the body in the county, not anybody else. And if I have to go out of the county to do my investigation, that's going to cost the county money. So the body is going to stay in jones county>

For 21 years ... He provided this service for free. Now he's charging the county. The prices are steeper compared to Williams Funeral .

(gfx)

400 dollars for body pick up ... Versus 250 dollars

100 dollars per night for refrigeration

and Cremation is 25-hundred. Williams will cost 500 dollars

Bridges says the equipment he uses is from his private business. Now ... He's asking the county to provide a vehicle for body transportation. And Williams says he would be able to donate a hearse if the county needs it.

I called the commissioners ... But they declined to comment.

Judy Le 13wmaz eyewitness news

The commissioners voted unanimously for Williams Funeral Home in Milledgeville to provide the services.

Coming up tonight on Eyewitness News at 11....

A candidate for District 9 getting a formal complaint claiming he doesn't actually live in the district he's running in.

Al Tillman says it's just a distraction ... And dirty politics from a friend of the man running against him.

Tom George will have have more....tonight.

Be on the look out.

Not for criminals or wild animals... But beauty queens... Fifty of them.

Lorra Lynch Jones explains the unusual A-P-B.

If you know the whereabouts of any former Miss Northside's... You can call the school at 478-929-7858 and ask for Brian Barnett.

The pageant is September 20th at 7 p-m in the Ray Horne Theater at Northside.